Morgus movie comes back from the dead, thanks to local theater

Attention, friends of science and those of the Higher Order: This Halloween, Dr. Momus Alexander Morgus will emerge, however briefly, from the Old City Icehouse.

New Orleans TV horror host Dr. Morgus will be making something of a comeback this Halloween as his 1962 movie 'The Wacky World of Dr. Morgus' plays at the Chalmette Movies.

Well, sort of.

The 1962 film "The Wacky World of Dr. Morgus" -- a comic adventure set and shot in New Orleans and starring the longtime local TV horror host -- has been booked for a two-week engagment, set to start Oct. 22, at the Chalmette Movies.

Co-starring Morgus sidekick Chopsley, the film sees Morgus (played by local actor Sid Noel) invent a "People Machine" that can turn people into sand, and then back again. When an Eastern bloc agent decides to steal it, Morgus must make sure his invention doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

It's only the latest revival for the beloved local figure, who got his start shooting wraparounds for TV creature features in 1959. He was brought back for more in the 1980s, and then saw the segments repackaged for broadcast -- minus the movies -- on cable television.

For details, visit the Chalmette Movies website, or call 504.304.9992. Watch the embedded video below to see the "Wacky World of Dr. Morgus" movie trailer.